Chill out with a classic Spanish cold soup

I recently returned from Spain. My first night in Madrid, I ordered the gazpacho on the menu. Creamy and rich, it was thick and somewhere between a dip and a soup.

I visited the ancient city of Cordoba. Imagine my surprise when I sat down to lunch at the beautiful Palacio del Bailio Hotel and was served the same soup I had enjoyed in Madrid — except, they called it salmorejo. It can best be described as a cold tomato soup that has the flavor of gazpacho and the texture of vichyssoise but a bit thicker. I re-created this soup using ripe tomatoes, European cucumbers, sherry vinegar, garlic, day-old bread and extra-virgin Spanish olive oil.

Salmorejo

6 medium-size ripe tomatoes, (about 3 pounds), coarsely chopped

2 medium-size cloves garlic

¹⁄₄ cup sherry vinegar, preferably Spanish

³⁄₄ cup extra-virgin olive oil, preferably Spanish

2 teaspoons salt

2 cups packed day-old bread (French or sourdough), cut in 2-inch bread cubes

2 hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped, for garnish

2 ounces Spanish ham, shredded, for garnish

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the egg and ham. Mix the ingredients around so that the bread has a chance to soak up the liquids. Let rest for about 15 minutes, or until the bread is softened.

In batches, puree the soup. If your blender doesn't totally puree the soup, you can pass it through a food mill for a smoother texture. Transfer it to a bowl in batches and, when it has been pureed, taste for seasoning.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and for as long as 2 days ahead of serving. Season to taste just before serving.

To serve, ladle soup in soup bowls and garnish with the chopped eggs and ham. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6.

Diane Rossen Worthington is the author of 18 cookbooks and is a James Beard award-winning radio-show host. You can contact her at www.seriouslysimple.com.